


Thorns to the Rose

by GemmaRose



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Forced Marriage, Forced Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Multi, thats just to cover the bases. more tags will be added as needed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-25
Updated: 2015-02-03
Packaged: 2017-12-21 07:54:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/897813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemmaRose/pseuds/GemmaRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Pitch's attack, there was a group of male Pooka that survived and hid away on earth. Of course, they've heard of the Easter Bunny, but due to Bunny's reclusive behavior couldn't get a hold of him. They're far from idle. They start repopulating. But if they're all male, how would they do that? They take human women and breed them. </p><p>de-anon from rotg-kink</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No triggers/warnings are applicable this chapter.

Bunnymund sniffed again, then twisted his whole head to hear better. Somebody was singing, which wouldn't have been unusual if he weren't deeper into the jungle than any human had ever gone. It was faint enough that he could've passed it off as his imagination, but the scent was strong. He could barely tell it was human, so mixed and muddled was it with something else. Whatever the other thing was, it was significantly more suited to this climate than the human. Bunny could mostly smell sweat, but unless he was getting rusty the human was female.

Tucking his sketchbook back into his bag, he started following the trail. If it was a kid from one of the tribes who'd gotten lost, he could lead her back home without much difficulty. She'd crossed the river at a broad, shallow point, and the sound of water was behind him he could hear the song much more clearly. It was like nothing he'd ever heard, the words nonsense and the tune utterly tuneless. He smiled. She sounded young, no more than her mid 20s if the vocal range was anything to go by. If she was comfortable enough in the woods to be making up songs, he _really_ had to see her.

Following the sound was easier than following her scent, and in minutes he was standing next to a tree with a good view of the singer. She looked to be around 20, probably a teenage mother by the marks visible on her stomach and sides. Her shirt and skirt were designed for maximum range of movement, and while they were revealing he'd seen groups of girls in the cities wearing much skimpier clothing. Her hair was pulled back with a cloth triangle of the same fabric as her skirt and shirt, and in the back he saw it was short and brown. She would've been entirely unremarkable, a native girl gathering fruits in a woven basket, except she looked nothing like the women who lived in the small villages scattered throughout the less dense parts of the jungle. For starters her skin was almost as pale as Jack's, and her face looked more like Sophie's than the village women's.

"Rosie, Rosie! I found the roots!"

The girl turned to face the voice, and Bunny's breath hissed in between his teeth. Before he'd only been able to see her left side, but now that she was facing the other direction it was impossible not to notice the mark on her face. A pair of lobed leaves and a line, tattooed over her right eyebrow in red so vivid it could be mistaken for blood. No two ways around it, that was a Pookan clan symbol.

Bunny stepped through the bush which had been shielding him from sight just as another person entered the clearing, this one with ears up to his rib cage and covered in fur that ranged from the girl's dark brown to a rich russet colour on his clan markings. Neither noticed him, as the girl was focused solely on her son and the young Pooka was bathing in the attention. The girl, Rosie, took the medicinal roots from her son and tucked them in the basket.

"Let's get on home, eh Frax?"

The kit nodded and grabbed the girl's hand. "It's this wa-" he froze mid-word, looking up at Bunny in shock. "Who are you?"

Bunny crouched so he and the kit were almost eye to eye. "Name's Eremos Aster Bunnymund. Who're you?"

The kit puffed out his chest proudly. "Fraxinus Ottelia Kennith."

Bunny chuckled and stood, looking to the human girl. "Rosie, right?" he smiled, reaching out to tilt her chin up. "No need to be shy. I won't hurt you."

She chuckled, and he grinned. "I just wanted ta ask if you'd be so kind as to let me see your home."

Fraxinus nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Da and the rest'll be so proud. I found a real, full grown Pooka!"

Bunny chuckled. "Don't go getting cocky. I found your mum."

The kit made a face. "Rosie isn't my dam. That's Ivy."

Bunny inclined his head to the girl. "My apologies, Rosie. Is he your nephew?"

"Well, sorta." Fraxinus replied. "Da can explain it all a lot better. C'mon!"

Bunny chuckled as the kit bounced past him, dragging Rosie by the wrist. "Howsabout you lead the way, and I'll make sure Rosie doesn't get lost?"

The kit stopped and turned, looking Bunny up and down before beaming. "Sure thing! But she's bound to Da already, so-"

"I won't lay a finger on her, promise." Bunny smiled, taking the girl's elbow gently.

"I can walk on my own." she muttered. "Not like we don't take the same damn trail every week."

"Sorry." he smiled, releasing her arm. "I assumed you got lost easily."

The girl looked up at him curiously. "You-" she shook her head. "Never mind."

"No, please, what were you thinking?"

She adjusted the basket on her hip. "You're not like the ones at home. You listen."

Bunny frowned slightly. "Well, it's how my dam raised me. My apologies for the men you live with."

She shook her head, chuckling darkly. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'll accept that apology once you've met them."

Bunny shrugged, parting a curtain of vines for her. "If you say so. But it'll stand until you do accept it."

Rosie laughed for real this time. "I must say, Mr. Bunnymund. You are the most polite Pooka I've ever met."

He shrugged modestly. "I try."

"What's taking you guys so long?" Fraxinus whined from up ahead, scampering back to them.

Bunny laughed. "Did your dam never teach you patience? We'll get there when we get there. Why don't you run ahead and announce us, and Rosie'll show me the way back."

Frax's face scrunched up. "But Rosie doesn't _know_ the way back!"

"Have you ever asked her that?" Bunny raised an eyebrow. "How long have you two been taking this path?"

The kit shrugged. "Two, maybe three years?"

"Rosie, do you think you know this path after three years?"

"Two, but yes." she said quietly.

"See?" Bunny nodded. "She'll show me the way. Now you get on back at your own rate. I'll accompany Miss Rosie."

Rosie giggled, and Frax rolled his eyes. "Whatever. If Da gets mad about this, it's all your fault."

"I'll accept full responsibility." Bunny said with a smile.

Both the girl and the kit gave him an odd look, but only for a second. Then Fraxinus was off, and Rosie resumed her walk. Bunny fell in step beside her, and in companionable silence she led him back across the river and into the jungle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frax is named after pop ash and duck-lettuce, though I made up his last name. Eremos is part of the scientific family tree of the Aster genus, so I felt that fit rather well. The whole deal with the tattooed clan markings will be explained later, probably next chapter, and I'm looking forward waaay too much to writing Bunny's reaction to the whole deal.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No triggers/warnings are applicable this chapter.

Bunnymund ran a paw over the rough-hewn stone walls, his eyes searching for a hint of the Clan he was coming to visit. The woman beside him, Rosie, was part of the Kennith clan without a doubt, but there were none of the usual territorial marks in the entryway. To a human, it would be indistinguishable from the other caves dotting the cliffside.

“The door’s back here.” Rosie said softly, reaching into a crack in the wall. Her arm moved, and there was a grinding noise as the crack widened. “Come on in, Mr. Bunnymund. Before it closes again.”

The Pooka slipped through, and when the wall came back up behind him he noticed there was no crack or mechanism on the inside of the door. “How do you get out?”

“One of the Pooka has to open it. There’s some sort of magic involved. I never bothered asking how it works.”

Bunny frowned, but followed the young woman down the tightly spiralling tunnel. After a few complete turns it began to widen, and then suddenly it was as if he’d stepped back onto his homeworld. The path was wide and gently sloping, covered in grass and the occasional flower. Egg shaped stepping stones of pure quartz formed a trail leading every which way, the pattern incomprehensible to any species but his own. There was a river, and trees which he hadn’t seen since leaving the stars, and a garden which looked for all the worlds like the one which had grown outside the kitchen window when he was a kit.

A giggle reminded him that he was not alone, and he shook his head like a wet dog.

“You look much nicer when you’re not scowling, Mr. Bunnymund.” she hopped across a few stepping stones, and stopped to smile at a group of kits running by. Healthy kits, all the same age as Fraxinus if he wasn’t mistaken. “It’s quite impressive, isn’t it?”

“It’s just like home.” he grinned, shaking his head slowly.

“ _We did our best._ ” a voice boomed in Pookan. Bunny’s head snapped up, and he grinned at the sight of the older buck. The deep green sash he wore denoted an Elder, and he bore the Kennith clan mark on his forehead. “ _Welcome to our village, visitor. My name is Quercus Worsleya Kennith._ ” he held out a hand, and Bunny grabbed the brown Pooka’s forearm in their equivalent of a handshake.

“ _Eremos Aster Bunnymund._ ” he replied, the ancient language flowing easily from his tongue. He’d never thought he would have the chance to speak it again. “ _I met your kit, Fraxinus._ ”

“ _Yes, he told me he met a Lanceleaf in the jungle who called himself Bunnymund. May I ask why you have changed your Clan name?_ ”

“ _Lost a bet._ ” he chuckled, ears flicking back bashfully at the memory. “ _You have no idea how glad I am to see you._ ”

“ _It is always a happy day to meet another who survived._ ” Quercus rumbled, turning and walking across the field. “ _Come, I will introduce you to my fellow Elders. We were in conference when my youngest brought news of you._ ”

“ _Oh, I wouldn’t dare intrude-_ ”

“ _They will want to meet you, and hear your story. We will call all who remember the stars, and then you can tell us how you came to be on this woefully primitive planet._ ”

Bunny nodded, unable to keep the smile from his face. He had seen well over a dozen kits so far, each of them healthy and vibrant and **alive**. For millennia he had thought himself the last of a dead race, but now here he saw children playing and learning and doing chores, the whole air filled with a language he’d never dared hope to hear again. And for the first time in his many, many years on this Earth, Eremos Aster Bunnymund dared to hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will now be updating this every Monday until I'm done, which should be the end of January. This chapter is a bit short, but I felt the next bit deserved its own dedicated chapter. Italicized text is spoken in Pookan.


	3. Chapter 3

The Council Room was exactly the right size. Small, but not so much that it felt cramped when eight fully grown Pooka were seated in it. He knew all the Clan markings in the room, remembered seeing them on his friends growing up and on his fellow soldiers later in life. Agrifoi, Maculata, Wiltonii, Vitis, Salix, Perseya, and, of course, Kennith. They were all ever so slightly older than him, but all eyes and ears were on him. Him, being listened to in a Council Room, and not being chastised. It was almost too good to be true.

“ _Rex is late again_.” Maculata muttered.

“ _Then he will miss the story_.” Quercus said with a huff. “ _Eremos, if you would?_ ”

Bunny began with the Fearling War. How he’d been discharged after a surprise attack left him the last man of his squad and his mind all but shattered, how his family had sent him to this backwater planet to recover, how he’d been a recluse with no purpose. Then he told them the story of meeting the Guardians, powerful and varied spirits who shattered his isolation and, without even meaning to, put him back together enough to do battle with the Nightmare King. He described in great detail this past Easter’s battle, being sure to mention the Last Light and their newest member, Jack Frost. When he was done the room was silent, seven pairs of eyes studying him, and then Vitus laughed.

“ _That is quite the life you’ve had, Eremos_.”

“ _Do you really call yourself the Easter Bunny?_ ” Agrifoi smirked.

“ _I didn’t have much choice in the matter. Lunanoff gave me a title, and it stuck. I was actually a bit surprised when Rosie saw me. Most kids stop believing by her age_.”

“ _She’s a dreamer, that one_.” Kennith chuckled, standing. “ _You are welcome any time, Eremos Aster Bunnymund. Our warren accepts you with open arms_.”

“ _I would do you the same in return, but my warren is a bit of a mess_.”

All seven chuckled, and the heavy brown curtain was pulled aside. Bunny turned his head to see who was interrupting, and his mouth fell open.

“ _Great timing, Rex_.” Perseya drawled. “ _You managed to miss the entire story_.”

The creamy white Pooka chuckled, ears flicking back. “ _Had to help Katniss in the kitchen_.” his golden blonde clan symbol stood out in the magic light which lit the whole warren, an egg with three dots down the middle. One for the Gods above, one for the planet below, one for the people in between. The mark of the royal house of his homeworld. Piercing blue eyes landed on him, and Prince Rexia Rubus Regalis laughed and held out a hand. “ _It’s an honour to meet you, Mr. Bunnymund_.”

“ _I-_ ”

Regalis noticed Bunny’s gaze and chuckled bashfully, putting a paw over the mark. “ _Oh, please. I’m no different from you. This mark means nothing anymore. If it did, I would be an Elder_.” he laughed easily, the older Pooka trickling out of the room. “ _Come, I’ll show you around_.”

Bunny nodded dumbly, and let Relagis help him to his feet. He remembered clearly the day this Pooka had been born. He’d been playing pirates with his cousin Caledonian, and his mother had come into the room and swept them both into a hug. The whole village had come together for dinner that night, and he, Caledonian, and Shadbush had managed to steal two whole pies each.

“Katty~” Regalis sing-songed. “Look, I’ve brought a visitor!”

Bunny blinked, and realized he’d been lead into the kitchen. A girl, maybe twelve years old, was standing on a step stool and making pasta sauce. Her dark hair was cut short, curling close to her head. Above her left eye was a red mark, a tattoo of the Regalis clan symbol, standing out starkly against her browned skin. She blinked owlishly at him, cocked her head, then hopped off of the stool and walked over to the cabinet. “I need more basil.”

“Katniss, I thought you had better manners than that.” Regalis gave Bunny an apologetic smile. “ _Sorry about her_.”

“It’s alright.” the Guardian replied, crouching so he was the same height as the child and holding out a hand. “Name’s Bunnymund, but most kids just call me Bunny.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Bunny? Really?”

“Well, yeah.” he chuckled. “But you can call me Eremos, if that’s better for you.”

She thought for a moment, then shrugged and got back on her stepstool, adding a small handful of basil to the simmering pot. “Bunny works for me.”

“ _She’s an industrious worker. Gets along well with the kits, too_.”

“I thought you said you were giving me a tour.” Bunny teased. Turning to the little Native American girl, he gave a soft smile. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Katniss.”

She gave him a considering look, then a wide smile. “Nice meeting you too, Bunny.”

“Try some fennel in that sauce.” he nodded towards the bubbling pot. “balances out the basil.”

“Already got it in there.”

“Oh, see?” he laughed. “You’re a better cook than I am.”

She blushed and turned back to the stove, stirring the pot as the pair of Pooka left.

Regalis showed Bunny the gardens, the orchard, and the ponds at either end of the stream where the kits swam. Every once in a while Bunny would catch a flash of human skin tone out of the corner of his eye, just a glimpse of a person going into a building or ducking into a tunnel, but his attention was always drawn to something else before he could think about it. Regalis introduced him to the oldest kits, who would be fully grown within the year. The eldest was the only doe, Equisetum Busae Agrifoi, and she gave a very polite smile and curtsy when she was introduced. Her brother, Jacaranda Ceris, was a few months younger and so lost in his book he didn’t even notice Regalis giving him a pat on the head.

Bunny didn’t even notice the time until the everyone began putting away their work and heading for the large central pavillion. He’d never made one in his warren, but it was a staple in every village. It was where the whole community gathered, for dances and meetings and festivals. His stomach growled, and Regalis laughed. The ex-prince seemed to laugh a lot, and it was the infectious kind that made others smile.

“ _We have dinner as a community once a week. You’re more than welcome to join us, of course_.”

Bunny smiled and nodded. “ _I would love to_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The history Bunny tells them is a blend of Bookverse and Movieverse, simply because I can entirely imagine book!Bunny as a product of complete isolation, and the change to movie!Bunny being prompted by his annual observation of children and occasional interaction with a believer or one of the other Guardians.


	4. Chapter 4

one month after first contact  
\-----

Bunny popped out of the tunnel and landed in the now familiar patch of grass. Some of the younger kits had built a little wall of stones around it, marking it as his landing pad of sorts. Regalis was holding a bushel basket and catching fruit the kits were picking from trees in the orchard. Bunny chuckled and held his hands behind his back as he sauntered over.

“ _Looks like fun. Can I take a turn?_ ”

“ _Bunny!_ ” the kits squealed, leaping out of the tree and causing the fruits to rain down on Regalis, who swore colourfully.

“ _Whatcha hidin’?_ ”  
“ _Didja bring ’em?_ ”  
“ _I wanna see!_ ”  
“ _Me first_.”  
“ _He likes me best_.”  
“ _Liar!_ ”

The kits began shoving each other, and Bunny laughed as he pulled the bag out from behind his back. “ _Yes, I brought eggs_.”

There was a collective cheer, and small paws reached for the burlap sack. Bunny laughed and held it up out of reach. “ _But first, you have to find them_.” he opened the bag and upended it. Three mechanical eggs fell out, and dashed off in all directions. Every few steps they would hop, and a coloured egg would spring from the tunnel they created. The kits watched, dumbstruck, and Bunny laughed in earnest. “ _Go get ‘em! You only get to eat the ones you catch!_ ”

The kits were off like a shot, and in minutes the air was full of shrieking laughter as they chased the egglets.

“ _Is there really one for everyone?_ ”

“ _Well, yeah. There’s a few thousand for the kits ta chase, but you get a special one_.” he grinned, popping a glittery gold egg from his bandolier. “ _Happy Easter, Regilas_.”

“ _Thank you, Bunny_.” the younger Pooka grinned. “ _I’ll save it for lunch_.” he eyed Bunny’s bandolier and chuckled. “ _Looks like I’m not the only one who gets a special egg, huh?_ ”

“ _Nah, all nine get a special one_.”

“ _But, there are two extras_.” the pale Pooka pointed out with a bemused grin, looking at Bunny expectantly.

Bunny glanced at the indicated eggs, one bearing a beach landscape and the other a zombie’s ribcage, and shrugged. “ _For Rosie and Katniss. No reason they should have to go without Easter Eggs_.”

Regalis went still for a moment, face twisting into an expression something like concern. A heartbeat later he was smiling, though, and Bunny wondered if he’d just imagined the odd expression. “ _I’ll deliver those for you.” he offered. “You can go hand out the special eggs for the others_.”

“ _Thanks, Regalis.” Bunny smiled, placing a hand over the eggs in question. “But I like to do my deliveries personally. Is Katniss in the kitchen today?_ ”

“ _Uh, yeah. I’ll go get the others together so you don’t have to track them down._ ”

“ _Thanks_.” Bunny started towards the kitchen, then stopped and turned on his heel. “ _I’m a dolt. Where’s Rosie?_ ”

“ _Uh, dunno. You’d have to ask Kennith_.”

“ _Alright. Thanks_.”

“ _No problem_.”

\-----

“Hey, Katniss.”

“Bunny!”

The Guardian knelt, letting the child hug him tight, and pressed his nose to her forehead. “How’ve ya been, li’l shiela?”

“I’ve been good. Didja bring me an easter egg?”

“Yeah, and one fer Rosie too.” he smiled, popping the “zombie torso” egg from his bandolier. The flesh glistened where it hung from cracked and filthy ribs, lovingly detailed plaid rags covering the trickiest organs.

The child’s eyes lit up, and she accepted the delicately painted gift as if it were a priceless treasure. “I don’t wanna peel it.” she whispered, tracing one of the exposed ribs with her finger.

“Figured as much.” he chuckled, reaching into one of the pouches hanging on his bandolier. “So, I made that on a petrified egg. And cooked you up, this.” he pulled out a Reese’s peanut butter egg.

The girl laughed, setting down her painted egg and snatching the treat. “You didn’t make that.”

“I didn’t?” he exaggerated a frown, reaching into the bag again. “Well then, I must’ve made… **this** one.” he pulled out a marshmallow peep.

“No, silly.” she laughed, accepting it when he dropped it in her lap. By the time he reached around to the back of his bandolier she was in stitches, a small pile of packaged candy in her lap courtesy of Jack and the Burgess kids.

“Well, I’m being honest here, I did make you this.” he pulled a cloth wrapped lump from a slot on the back of his sash, and unwrapped it so the chocolate egg inside balanced upright on his palm. “You said you missed honeydew melon, so I whipped up a filling just for you.”

Her eyes lit up, laughter abating into giggles, and she held out her hands to accept the treat. “You drew zombies on it.” she cooed, tracing the bas relief with her finger.

“Yeah, but it won’t last long.” he cautioned. “You better start eating right now, or it’ll melt everywhere.”

“I’m not some silly Indian prince.” she giggled, taking a bite off of the top.

“What’s princes got to do with this?” he asked, screwing up his face in confusion.

She giggled, displaying chocolate-coated teeth that would give Tooth nightmares. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Prince Cherry Pond asks for a chocolate palace, and it melts all over him cuz he’s an idiot.”

“Oh, yeah. Friend of mine’s been bugging me to read that book. Is it any good?”

“It’s the best. My mommy used to read it to me every night, before I came to live here. And they made a movie of it!”

“Not much for movies, mahself. Books, those I can get behind.”

“I miss books.” Katniss sighed, taking another bite of her chocolate egg. “I’m not allowed to touch anything in the library, and everything is written in funny shapes that don’t make sense.”

“Well, how about we make a deal, huh? You tell me the name of a book, and if I can get my hands on it, I’ll bring it over for you.”

“What’s the catch?” she frowned, taking another bite of the chocolate. The egg was almost gone now.

“I want to hear how much progress you’ve made every time I visit. And who your favourite characters are, and all that jazz.”

“Really? You’d listen to me talk?”

“Kid, I’ll come over just to listen if you need me to.”

“Thank you, Bunny.” she sniffled, cramming the last of the egg in her mouth and leaning in to give the Guardian a hug.

He would have chocolate stains in his fur for the next week, but it was worth it when Katniss pulled away with a beaming smile. “I’m gonna share my candy with all the other girls.”

“Well, then. Better keep it somewhere safe so you won’t eat it all.”

“Um, could you take it to the back door of the bunks and put it there? Just inside, so the kits don’t get at it.”

“Yeah, I could do that. You got a basket?”

A few minutes later all of Katniss’s candy, plus her stone egg, were tucked under a grubby dishcloth. He was about to leave when he remembered, and turned around to set down the bowl on the counter.

“I almost forgot. Do you know where Rosie is? I’ve got an egg for her.”

“She works in the nursing place. She’s the nurse.”

“Oh, thanks. Where’s that?”

“Um… okay after you drop off the candy, turn so the door’s on your left. Take the first right, then the third, and knock three times on the door at the end of the hall.”

“Kay.” he pressed his nose to her forehead again. “Happy Easter, Katniss.”

“Bring me Sorcerer’s Stone next time?”

“Pushy li’l shiela.” he laughed, picking up the bowl. “I’ll get ya the book, don’t you fret.”

“Love you, Bunny.”

“Love you too, kid. Now I better go, before the kits get bored of chasing eggs.”

“Chasing?”

“I’ll tell ya next time.”

\-----

Bunny left the bowl of sweets just inside the unmarked door, and followed the girl’s instructions. Right, then right, then three quick knocks. The door opened almost immediately, and Rosie smiled.

“Mr. Bunnymund. You have a message?”

“A gift, actually. You mentioned the beach, the first time you were leading me here, and I wanted to thank you somehow. For introducing me to this colony.” he pulled the painted egg from his bandolier and presented it.

“It’s stone.” she murmured, hefting the item and turning it in her fingers.

“I brought you a real egg, too. Nothing special.” he reached into the last sack on his bandolier and extracted a pure red egg, with lines of white curling around it to form rose petals.

“It’s so pretty.” she cooed, setting her portrait rock down on the desk and lifting the crimson egg with gentle fingers. “How did you make it?”

“Food dye, vinegar, a crayon, and a good bit of patience.”

She chuckled and tucked the egg into a pocket of her apron. If his eyes weren’t deceiving him, the girl had put on a fair bit of weight in the past month. But Pooka food was rich, since they needed more calories than humans, so it wasn’t really all that surprising. He kept his eyes on her face, and resolved not to mention it. Humans were so tetchy about their weight in this time period, it was the darndest thing.

“Thank you, Bunnymund. I’ll have it with lunch.” she grinned, tucking it into her apron pocket.

“Can I go out the front?”

“Of course.”

“Happy Easter, Rosie.”

“Belated Easter.” she grinned. “Easter was two days ago.”

“Well, I am the Easter Bunny. Can’t spend half my day down here with you and Katniss, I hafta be all over the world hiding eggs.”

“I know, I know. Just, being picky again.”

He smiled and ruffled her hair. “Just being yerself, more like. Have a happy belated Easter.”

“You too, Mr. Bunnymund.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prince in question is actually named Prince Pondicherry, but how well do you think a little kid would remember a detail like that? Also, I think that once Jack has gotten him to open up a bit, Bunny would be really good with kids. And since he’s Hope personified, he can tell this particular kid needs something she’s not getting, so he’s doing his best to help.


	5. Chapter 5

three months after first contact

\-----

“ _Hey, Regalis_.”

“ _Yeah?_ ”

“ _Know where I can find Rosie?_ ”

“ _Bunks are over there. Why?_ ”

Bunny glanced at the indicated building, a low structure he’d assumed was an underground storage area. The windows were glowing with a warm light, but something about it being a living quarters didn’t sit well with him. “ _Her birthday was yesterday, so I brought her a gift_.”

“ _Seriously? Don’t let Kennith catch you hitting on his lady, he’ll kick you out and never let you back in_.”

“ _What? I’m not courting her, I’m giving her a birthday present. It’s a human thing_.”

“ _Weirdo_.”

“ _I’ll just go drop this off, then hop back home. You should sleep, you’ll need to be good and rested for kit wrangling tomorrow_.”

“ _Yeah, not looking forward to that_.” the pale Pooka stretched and yawned. “ _You gonna be helping?_ ”

“ _Nah, I’m behind on Warren maintenance. Yer on your own_.”

“ _Meany butt_.” Regalis grumbled, slouching off towards the burrows.

Bunny waited until the ex-royal was out of sight before standing up and walking towards the bunks. He cut across the lush grass, ignoring the neatly laid stepping stones in favour of the most direct route. Little things had been niggling at him since the first day, tiny events which could individually be measured up to certain Pooka being insensitive dicks, but all together they painted a much more troubling picture. From the start, Fraxinus had assumed a woman old enough to be his mother was incapable of even the simplest tasks. Katniss complained of hunger, and her simple shift didn’t hide the bruises which mysteriously appeared on her arms and legs.

Every Pooka in the colony, even the kits, made fun of how primitive the technology on this planet was. How weak and slow and simple even the most capable humans were, in comparison to Pooka. Hell, he’d even learnt a few crude jokes from Regalis and laughed as hard as the kits he told them to a few hours later. Just days ago, Kennith had offered to send “one of his girls” over during Rut. And now the mysterious bunks Katniss was always mentioning were revealed to be almost entirely underground. There was a flight of stairs leading down to a heavy looking wood door, and the sight of a plank laid across it made Bunny’s skin crawl. There had been a similar bar across the door he left the sweets behind just after Easter, but he’d thought nothing of it. How much had he been missing, all this time?

He knocked, and the quiet murmur of English immediately went silent. “Rosie?” he asked quietly. “Could I come in?”

“It’s Mr. Bunnymund.” Rosie whispered.

“Why bother saying no?” someone sighed, the voice definitely female but unfamiliar.

“Mr. Bunnymund would leave if we asked.” Rosie retorted.

“I can hear you, ya know.” he chuckled. “I just came ta hand over Rosie’s birthday present, then I’ll be off.”

There was a long moment of silence, then a second unfamiliar voice called “Come in.”

He lifted the beam, and set it down leaning against the wall. “Katniss told me you like mysteries, so I picked up Sherlock Holmes from Nick.” he opened the door, and his heart froze. The “bunks” had no furniture, not beds or nests or even enough materials to make a pile. The walls and floor were bare earth, the room lit by a pair of magic lights embedded in the ceiling. There were twenty girls lying on the floor, each with a single blanket and pillow. 

“Hi, Bunny.” Katniss called from what appeared to be her designated spot in the corner, behind the woman who was, without a doubt, both the oldest and the darkest in the room.

“Hey to you too, kid.” he grinned feebly. Here was undeniable proof, confirming the suspicions he’d been brushing off for the past two months. This colony was rotten to the core. It was rotten, and he had been deluding himself with the idea that everything would be okay now he’d found more of his own kind.

“Welcome to the bunks.” the woman in front of Katniss said blithely. She had a square jaw, large chest, and muscles clearly visible under her scarred skin. Her hair was beginning to streak with grey, but there were only the faintest of wrinkles on her face. If his guess was right, she was at least forty. And she was easily twice the age of the next oldest woman in the room.

“My name’s Casha.” she said quietly. “I’m afraid you’ll have to sit on the floor.”

Bunny sat down near the edge of the cluster of blankets, and Katniss hopped through the mess of bodies to take the neatly wrapped book. “I told you Bunny was good.” she grinned, handing the gift over to Rosie before hopping back to sit in the Guardian’s lap.

“We’ll see how good soon enough.” the dark woman said with a stern look. “Mr. Bunnymund, from what these two have told me, you are much better than any of the monsters outside that door.”

“At the risk of sounding arrogant, I agree.” he said, busying his hands with finger combing Katniss’s hair.

“However, you are not the most observant.” she pushed herself up into a sitting position against the wall, and for a long moment Bunny thought he might throw up. Despite her age Casha was muscle through and through, but her stomach was grotesquely distended. He could see the outlines of kits pressed against her skin, scars where she had been cut open in the past, bruises where one of the kits had kicked her. Her face softened, and she ran a hand over her stomach. “Mr. Bunnymund, I have a rather large request to make.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of my least favourite chapters, tbh, but the next chapter doesn't flow smoothly as a second half of this one.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains discussion of kidnapping, forced pregnancy, implied rape, and implied pedophillia.

“Anything.” Bunny said quickly, swallowing the bile which had risen in his throat. “Whatever my brethren have done, I will do what I can to assist you.”

“Before you can help us, you need to understand what it is we need help with.” Casha spoke with as much authority as any Clan Matriarch, and Bunny nodded once.

“I’ll listen.”

“He’s really good at that.” Katniss stage whispered, earning a few chuckles from the women who were awake.

“Rosie, why don’t you start.” Casha looked to the brunette, no longer as slender as she’d been when he met her. He’d been so blind. If it had been the food, Katniss wouldn’t be so thin. And human women didn’t carry fat on their stomachs anyway.

“I was taken three years ago.” Rosie said quietly, looking at her hands. “I’d just finished my first year of college, and was out camping with my family. They nabbed me on the way back from the toilet, and the next thing I knew I was a prisoner here. I was given to Mr. Kennith, because one of his breeders had died in birth, and-” she stopped and curled tighter around herself, shuddering for a minute before continuing. “I had a doe in my first litter, so instead of being given a five month rest, Ivy got handed off to Wiltonii and I- I miscarried a week into that litter. I nearly died. If I deliver these kits unharmed, they will be my third litter.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Bunny carefully kept his voice low, striving to keep the anger from his tone. If Quercus Worsleya Kennith walked in at this moment, he’d likely rip the older Pooka limb from limb, but Rosie wouldn’t know that.

“I couldn’t be sure you were on our side.” she answered, looking up for the first time and meeting his eyes with an iron will he’d not expected.

“Katniss.” the old woman spoke before Bunny could order his thoughts. “Tell Mr. Bunnymund your story.”

“I used to live on a reservation, up by Canada.” the preteen said easily, as if she’d told the story many times before. “I was on a Girl Scout camping trip and I fell during a hike, scraped my knee up pretty bad.” she patted her right knee, which was no more roughed up than her left but apparently the one she was referring t. “I was crying, but I’d fallen behind, so the first person to find me was Regalis. He looked like a camp counselor, so I let him start walking me back to camp. When I told him my mom had a twin sister, and I had twin cousins, he opened up a hole in the ground and brought me here.” she looked down at her crossed legs, and the frown which crossed her face was enough to break anyone’s heart. “That was three years ago.”

Bunny made a pained sound and pulled the girl close, curling his body around her as if that would be enough to protect her. “Tell me what state, and what reservation. I’ll take you right back home.”

“Blackfeet Reservation, North Montana.” she rattled off. “Are you really gonna take me home? Right now?” she beamed, twisting to look up at him.

“Not yet.” Casha said commandingly. “He must hear one more story. Any volunteers?”

Some girls shook their heads, a few muttered no. Most just stayed still and silent, though he couldn’t begin to guess how many of the silent ones were asleep. Casha sighed and fiddled with a loose thread on the edge of her shirt, identical to Rosie’s in cut and fabric. “Then I guess you get to hear my story, Mr. Bunnymund.” she smiled tiredly, wincing as her stomach bulged. A foot was momentarily outlined against her taut skin, and Bunny curled tighter around Katniss. He’d rather die than let something happen to this girl, this silly Blackfoot preteen who laughed too hard and knew her way around a kitchen better than a good number of adults.

“I was taken when I was thirteen, along with my sisters. We were triplets, which is why they wanted us I think. They stole us in the night, and said we were going to replace the ones who had died. My sisters could not bear it, and their first kits killed them. I have borne more litters than I care to count, more than three times as many as the next oldest woman here. All of us, every one you see, we were taken. They brand us like cattle, and once a year we are taken to their beds. Tahirah will not survive unless she miscarries, Rosie will be lucky if she can bear her litter to term, Katniss will be taken by Regalis in a month, and poor Vireak is going to be given to whichever of the new bucks can find her first.

Bunny’s fur stood on end. Had he accepted the offer presented to him, she would have been trapped in his Warren while he was in Rut. She looked so delicate, lying on her back with her eyes closed, snoring softly.

“So, Mr. Bunnymund.” Casha said after a few long moments. “Will you help us?”

“How can I help?” he said quietly. “I have no medical experience, I have no way to get you all somewhere safe, I can’t just bring you home.” he dropped his head into his hands, the hope he’d been nurturing since discovering this colony shrivelling up like a worm on hot rock.

“Tell your friends about what is going on here. These Guardians, they can help you can they not?”

“I- I couldn’t. I can’t put my friends in the line of fire like that. Toothiana especially.”

“Then figure something out.” she sighed, slowly lying back down. The blanket disguised how huge her abdomen had become, and Bunny shuddered to think that half of these young women were probably in chronic pain from the kits they were forced to bear.

“I’ll figure something, I promise.”

“And you’ll get me home?” Katniss whispered, little narrow face so blatantly hopeful it hurt.

“Yeah. Promise.” he rumbled, pressing his nose to her forehead. “Now git, you oughta be sleeping.”

“Goodnight, Bunny.” she grinned, standing up to kiss his nose.

The Guardian stood and left, not bothering to put the heavy bar back in place. He had to come up with a plan before Rut, when little Katniss would be taken and broken like all those other women. He had to, or he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.


	7. Chapter 7

three months two weeks after first contact

\-----

Bunnymund holstered his boomerangs and gritted his teeth. He had a plan now, and inglorious as it was he had to carry it out today. Today was the last Council meeting before Rut, and as an honourary Elder he would be allowed to attend. He would be able to disable and restrain all of the Elders, and then they could be brought to justice. Even the Prince, who every kit longed to be growing up, would be tried for the kidnapping and rape of multiple human women. No, not women. Bunny gritted his teeth, blood boiling as he reminded himself that not a single human in that colony had been taken after the age of eighteen. Prince Rex and the others were guilty of kidnapping and raping human children, a crime for which they would have been beheaded back home.

A tap of his foot opened a familiar tunnel, and as he raced towards the colony Bunny worked at putting on a smile. None of the kits were waiting for him when he emerged, and he was passingly grateful of that. They didn’t need to know what their sires had done. At least, not right now. Bunny cut across the grass, making a beeline for the Council Room.

No kits saw him enter the room, and as every eye turned to him he took a moment to be grateful of that. He pulled his boomerangs, and the first one bounced off three of the seven heads present before returning to his hand. The resulting second of shock was enough for him to bash two more in the head hard enough to knock them out, and when the pair who weren’t dazed leapt to their feet he managed to knock one of them off balance with a good hard shove. They went down hard, obviously unaccustomed to fighting after centuries on this planet, and that left just him and Leoptus Vitix.

Vitix lunged, Bunny dodged and brought a boomerang down on the back of his neck. The blueish Pooka went down with a yelp, and Bunny pulled a pair of old handcuffs from a pouch on his belt. The cuffs themselves were carved stone, a special type from their homeworld which inhibited their natural shapeshifting ability. Vitix was first, and Bunny had cuffed the three he dazed with that first strike when the curtain was pulled aside.

Rex blinked at the scene. His fellow elders dazed or unconscious, and Bunny standing over them with a pair of stone handcuffs. Bunny looked up as he finished cuffing the fourth Elder, the one he’d knocked over so easily. “You gonna help?” he grinned tensely, attempting to make it seem lighthearted.

The golden-marked Pooka stepped back slightly, out of the room, and Bunny scowled. “Rex, get over here and help me.”

“ _You mean to dismantle this colony_.” he snarled. “ _You love those stupid humans more than your own kin_.”

“Rexia Rubus Regalis.” Bunny said firmly, locking eyes with the younger Pooka. “Your Elders have committed crimes punishable by death. Now come help me bind them so we can give them a trial.”

The curtain fell shut, and Bunny swore. The remaining three pairs of cuffs he slapped on without care for the wearer’s comfort, and then he bolted from the room. Rex was gone, but his scent trail was clear. He was headed for the bunks. A chill ran down Bunny’s spine, and as he neared the sunken building a shrill scream made his blood run cold.

Rex was standing over one of the girls, his paws and muzzle stained red, and Bunny suddenly remembered one of the last pieces of news he’d heard before he went into complete isolation on this planet. Rexia Rubus Regalis, first prince of the Pooka, had been banished for mass murder. Most Pooka would have been executed, but this one had lived because his mother, Queen of the Pooka, could not bear to watch her son die.

Rex spun around with a savage grin, and Bunny drew both his boomerangs. “ _Fight me_.” he commanded. “ _You have no reason to kill these women_.”

“Don’t I?” the pale Pooka sneered, kicking the girl over onto her side so Bunny could see her tattoo. “She’s my breeder. I’ll pull the kits from her stomach, and go fetch myself a new one. Might even pick you up a lady as well.”

“You won’t touch any of them.” Bunny snarled, springing between Regalis and the rest of the girls cowering in the corner. Casha was halfway to wrapped around Katniss, shielding her eyes from the inevitable violence. Rosie was standing in front of Vireak, shaking like a leaf. Some of the other women, whose names he had yet to learn, were standing in with her, fists clenched and raised in a defensive stance.

“Oh?” Regalis laughed, edged with madness. “And who’re you to stop me? I’m the heir to the Pookan throne, in case you haven’t heard.”

“I’m a Guardian.” Bunny growled, and launched himself at the paler Pooka boomerangs-first. Regalis dodged, every blow, cackling madly and attempting to lunge at the humans. Once it became clear that wouldn’t work, however, the mad prince change tactics and leapt skull-first into Bunny’s chest. The Guardian went down with a grunt, and Regalis sprang at the nearest girl. Rosie. Bunny scrambled to his feet and lunged after his opponent, but it was too late. Regalis grabbed her around the waist, and brought his mouth towards her neck with the intent of ripping it out.

“Hiiiiiya!” the dark girl next to her yelled, punching Regalis in the back of his head. The pale Pooka whipped his head around, and met a right hook to the snout. “This is for Quianna!” she shouted, and lifted both her hands up high. Bunny spotted a flash of colour as she swung down at the pale Pooka’s head, and as Regalis crumpled at Rosie’s feet he recognized it. The stone egg he’d painted for Rosie months ago.

Bunny stared at the dark woman for a moment, absolutely dumbstruck, and then a wet cough reminded him that there was still a young woman bleeding out on the floor behind him.

“Tahirah!” one of the brown-ish girls cried out, hurrying over and dropping to her knees. “Tahira, hang on.” she pressed her hands to the gaping hole in the other woman’s neck, and Bunny tapped his foot on the ground twice. A tunnel opened, and he tossed his last pair of handcuffs to a girl with dark wavy hair.

“Get his hands behind his back, and put those cuffs on ‘im.”

“Ja.” the girl nodded, fumbling open the restraints and slapping them over Rex’s wrists

“Everyone, in the hole.” he said firmly, pulling a cloth from his bandolier and tying it tightly around Tahirah’s neck. “I’m getting all of you out of here.”


	8. Chapter 8

Bunny laid Tahirah in the healing pod and sealed it, punching in the code for young female Constellar. They were physiologically similar enough, though Constellars were made of tougher stuff than humans and had more densely packed neurons in their brains.

“Will she be alright?” Katniss asked quietly, coming up and grabbing Bunny’s hand.

“She should be, li’l sheila.” he murmured quietly, picking up the preteen and holding her against his chest.

“How does this work?” one of the other women asked in heavily accented English, laying her palm on the glass. She was the darkest of them all, curly hair cropped close to her head. A blueish green mist sprayed in and the woman smiled, eyes lighting up like Tooth’s did when she started going on about modern tooth care. “Is that aerosolized penicillin?”

“A whole mix of antibiotics, actually.” Bunny smiled. “Fraid I can’t show you the blueprints, though. Prime Directive an all that.”

She chuckled, and Bunny grinned wryly as he looked at her. “You a doctor?”

“Nurse, actually, but I was in medical school for my doctorate when they kidnapped me.” her fingers curled against the glass, and Bunny laid a hand gently on her shoulder.

“Think you can figure your way around this room?”

She shrugged him off and turned to face him with a cocky grin. “Of course I can. I was third best in my class, I’ll have you know.”

Bunny chuckled and turned around to face the rest of the women sitting and standing in the medical room of his warren. “I’ll be leaving this one-”

“Lemlem.” she interjected. “Lemlem Anwar Selassie.”

“Right. I’ll be leaving Nurse Selassie in charge. She’ll see to ya while I get the Pooka who kidnapped you lot locked up.”

“Give Maculata a kick in the nuts for me, will ya?” one of the women said with a vicious grin. The same one who’d smashed Regalis over the head with Rosie’s stone egg, actually.

“Trust me, they’ll be getting worse than a kick.” Bunnymund grinned darkly.

“Bunny?” Katniss said quietly, peering up at him through his ruff. “Can you take me home now?”

“Y’know what, actually?” he grinned, shifting her on one arm. “I can. You an Vireak both.”

“What about the rest of us?” a pale heavyset woman whined.

“Unless ya want to explain to the docs in your own countries why yer kids are covered in fur, I’d recommend staying here a bit.” Bunny deadpanned. “Vireak, you wanna get on home?” he held out a hand to the nearly malnourished young woman, and she shook her head.

“ _Te khnhom kampoung snak now tinih cheamuoynung mitt srei robsakhnhom_.” she said quickly, grabbing the arm of the woman next to her. “ _Khnhom nung min thleakchoh daembi thveu ubayokl nei braphet robsa anak mtong tiet_.”

Thai? Bunny frowned slightly, racking his brains. When was the last time he’d had to use Thai?

“เขาขอที่จะนำคุณกลับบ้าน.” the slightly paler woman said soothingly, running a hand over the taller one’s hair. “ไปผมจะพบคุณเมื่อฉันกำจัดนี้.” she pressed a hand to her stomach.

No, wait, **that** was Thai. Then what was Vireak speaking?

“ _Lekhtoursapt robsakhnhom ku brabei bram bram - mphei bei - muoy chetseb - chetseb bramuoy chetseb pir neak_.” Vireak said urgently, gripping her friend’s hand so tight her knuckles turned white. “ _Vea kuor te trauv ban thveukear_.”

“แปดห้าห้า - ยี่สิบสามล้าน - หนึ่งในเจ็ดสิบ - เจ็ดสิบหกเจ็ดสิบสอง?” she asked with a smile. “ผมจะโทรหาคุณ.” she said emphatically, returning the taller woman’s grip. “ฉันสัญญาว่า.”

Vireak nodded, and stepped away from the other woman. “ _Khnhom nung tow cheamuoy anak_.” she said, chin held high.

“Khmer.” Bunny snapped his fingers, finally pinpointing the language she was using. “ _You’re from Cambodia, right?_ ” he asked haltingly, stumbling over the pronunciation a little.

“ _Yes_.” she nodded, seemingly unfazed by his sudden comprehension and language switch.

“ _Can you get home from Phnom Penh?_ ” he frowned, pulling her up onto his other arm.

“ _My mother works in Phnom Penh. It shouldn’t be a problem at all._ ” she grinned, weaving her fingers into his ruff.

“And you, ya lil ankle biter.” Bunny switched back to English, turning to Katniss. “Can ya wait until we’ve dropped her off ta get home?”

“Uh-huh.” she nodded, grinning wide.

“Alright, then. Hang on!” he tapped the floor twice with his foot, and dropped into the resulting tunnel. Katniss screamed in terror as he shrugged both of his passengers onto his shoulders and dropped to all fours. Two sets of hands grabbed tightly to his ruff, and after a moment Vireak laughed. It was hoarse and cracking, as if it hadn’t been used in ages, but when Bunny leapt up out of the ground in a park she went dead silent.

The air was stifling, heavy and humid, a thunderstorm threatening despite the near cloudless evening sky. Vireak slid from his back, and Bunny coaxed Katniss onto his shoulders as he stood up. “ _You recognize this place, or should I find somewhere else?_ ” he asked, watching the bony young woman look around in awe.

“ _That’s Trung Morn Street_.” she grinned, placing one hand over her heart and pointing with the other at a strip of asphalt. “ _I know where we are_.” she spun and beamed at Bunny, clasping her hands together. “ _I know where we are!_ ”

“ _Good on ya, sheila_.” Bunny laughed. “ _Can ya get home from here?_ ”

“ _My mother lives just a mile away_.” she smiled, practically bouncing. “ _I can go home_.”

“ _That’s the idea_.” Bunnymund smiled. “ _Now git, you’ve got a mum waiting for ya_.”

“ _Oh, Bunny?_ ” she paused, turning around to give him a serious look. “ _Don’t let Nawwara forget my phone number_.”

“ _Tell it to me, and I’ll make sure_.” he grinned warmly.

“ _Eight five five, twenty three, one seventy, seventy six seventy two_.”

Bunny nodded, committing the number to memory. “ _She’ll get it, I promise_.”

“ _Thank you, Mr. Bunnymund_.” Vireak smiled, her whole narrow face lighting up.

“She looks happy.” Katniss sighed, resting her chin on Bunny’s head.

“She’s back home, ‘course she’s happy.”

“I’d never seen her smile before. It’s pretty.” Katniss swung her feet, heels drumming on the Pooka’s chest.

“Alright, that’s enough outta you.” Bunny laughed, shifting Katniss down to cling to his back. “Next stop: Browning, Montana.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized it was kinda improbable that a bunch of girls from all over the world would all speak english, so here’s the translation of everything that was not written in English..  
> Khmer * No, I’m staying here with my girlfriend -- I'll not fall for the trickery of your kind again.  
> Thai * He’s asking to take you home -- Go, I’ll find you when I’m rid of this  
> Khmer * My phone number is 855-23-170-7672. -- It should still be working.  
> Thai * 855-23-170-7672? -- I will call you. -- I promise.  
> Khmer * I’ll go with you.
> 
> And, as usual, italicized text denotes conversation held in another language, Khmer in this case. Next chapter will be returning Katniss to her family.


End file.
